8 States team up to support Electric Vehicles - smart USA insider2016-12-09T17:22:18Zhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/forum/topics/8-states-team-up-to-support-electric-vehicles?commentId=2029424%3AComment%3A646097&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThanks for your advise to min…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-12-08:2029424:Comment:6460972013-12-08T22:26:24.960ZRobert Stouthttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/RobertStout
<p>Thanks for your advise to minimize the home charger costs and charging the battery on a home off peak electric utility rate....<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Mindy Kimball said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.smartusainsider.com/forum/topics/8-states-team-up-to-support-electric-vehicles?xg_source=activity#2029424Comment644976"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>To answer the original question - waiting for charging infrastructure is only a problem if you are going to push the range to the…</p>
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<p>Thanks for your advise to minimize the home charger costs and charging the battery on a home off peak electric utility rate....<br/> <br/> <cite>Mindy Kimball said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.smartusainsider.com/forum/topics/8-states-team-up-to-support-electric-vehicles?xg_source=activity#2029424Comment644976"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>To answer the original question - waiting for charging infrastructure is only a problem if you are going to push the range to the MAX every day. I have been commuting with my smart electric drive for almost 3 years now (over 25000 miles!), and I can count on one hand the number of times I actually NEEDED a public charger. 99.9% of my charging has been at home, with my own charger, and has cost me a grand total of about $300.</p>
<p>Public charging is expensive, too. If you expect EV owners to use public charging enough to justify the installation expenses of thousands of stations, then you have the economics backwards. If I charged those 25000 miles all on public chargers (whose fees are $1/hr in most places), it would have cost me about $2000 !!! Still about half of what I would have paid in gasoline to drive that many miles, but about 6 times as much as paying for electrons through my power company (and at night when I am at "super-off-peak" prices, and choosing a renewable energy grid mix).</p>
<p>There are many factors in choosing an EV - first and foremost being availability... get those smarts in all 50 states!!! Then, if your commute is right for it, do it now. It's right for me, and I LOVE IT!</p>
<p>P.S. When I got my first smart electric drive (January 2011), I really thought that I would just do that one lease and then I would switch to a different electric car. But, here I am with a new 2013 smart electric drive. It grew on me, it's fun, it's affordable, and it's perfect (for me). It'll be perfect for about 90% of the commuters out on the roads in the USA too - regardless of charging infrastructure...</p>
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</blockquote> Mindy, great ideas...!tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-12:2029424:Comment:6450632013-11-12T03:14:47.948ZKamaalhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/KamaalPeterson
<p>Mindy, great ideas...!</p>
<p>Mindy, great ideas...!</p> One more thought... please pa…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-12:2029424:Comment:6449792013-11-12T00:39:59.366ZMindy Kimballhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/MindyKimball
<p>One more thought... please pass on to marketing folks...</p>
<p>I proposed a "session" at the 2014 Green Biz Forum, which will be held in my area (Phoenix) in Feb 2014. What I proposed is a panel of electric vehicle owners (me included with my smart electric drive). We would be talking to business owners, innovators, and entrepreneurs and giving them insights on the things we care about and the lifestyle changes (or lack of changes) that we have made in electric cars.</p>
<p>The idea being…</p>
<p>One more thought... please pass on to marketing folks...</p>
<p>I proposed a "session" at the 2014 Green Biz Forum, which will be held in my area (Phoenix) in Feb 2014. What I proposed is a panel of electric vehicle owners (me included with my smart electric drive). We would be talking to business owners, innovators, and entrepreneurs and giving them insights on the things we care about and the lifestyle changes (or lack of changes) that we have made in electric cars.</p>
<p>The idea being that so many new companies are popping up trying to cash in on the needs of electric vehicles (especially people with ideas about charging infrastructure), but so many of them have failed... why? The way I see it, they really don't get what it is to drive electric (or rather commute electric...). Maybe if they understood it from our perspective, their businesses would be more successful... hint hint smartusa! Or should I say hint hint Mercedes...</p>
<p><strong>Anyway, if anyone from smartusa is reading, the Green Biz Forum is accepting nominations for speakers through Nov 30</strong>. The link is here: <a href="http://www.greenbiz.com/events/greenbiz-forum/speaker-nomination">http://www.greenbiz.com/events/greenbiz-forum/speaker-nomination</a> (FYI - I have no affiliation with this group, I just think it's a cool conference)</p>
<p>Maybe it would be cool to show off smart and talk about how efficient of a car it is, and how it is contributing to "greening" passenger transportation. <strong>You might sell some cars in the process...</strong></p> To answer the original questi…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-12:2029424:Comment:6449762013-11-12T00:37:14.961ZMindy Kimballhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/MindyKimball
<p>To answer the original question - waiting for charging infrastructure is only a problem if you are going to push the range to the MAX every day. I have been commuting with my smart electric drive for almost 3 years now (over 25000 miles!), and I can count on one hand the number of times I actually NEEDED a public charger. 99.9% of my charging has been at home, with my own charger, and has cost me a grand total of about $300.</p>
<p>Public charging is expensive, too. If you expect EV…</p>
<p>To answer the original question - waiting for charging infrastructure is only a problem if you are going to push the range to the MAX every day. I have been commuting with my smart electric drive for almost 3 years now (over 25000 miles!), and I can count on one hand the number of times I actually NEEDED a public charger. 99.9% of my charging has been at home, with my own charger, and has cost me a grand total of about $300.</p>
<p>Public charging is expensive, too. If you expect EV owners to use public charging enough to justify the installation expenses of thousands of stations, then you have the economics backwards. If I charged those 25000 miles all on public chargers (whose fees are $1/hr in most places), it would have cost me about $2000 !!! Still about half of what I would have paid in gasoline to drive that many miles, but about 6 times as much as paying for electrons through my power company (and at night when I am at "super-off-peak" prices, and choosing a renewable energy grid mix).</p>
<p>There are many factors in choosing an EV - first and foremost being availability... get those smarts in all 50 states!!! Then, if your commute is right for it, do it now. It's right for me, and I LOVE IT!</p>
<p>P.S. When I got my first smart electric drive (January 2011), I really thought that I would just do that one lease and then I would switch to a different electric car. But, here I am with a new 2013 smart electric drive. It grew on me, it's fun, it's affordable, and it's perfect (for me). It'll be perfect for about 90% of the commuters out on the roads in the USA too - regardless of charging infrastructure...</p> So a $139 per month lease wit…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-11:2029424:Comment:6448742013-11-11T22:07:11.361ZKamaalhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/KamaalPeterson
<p>So a $139 per month lease with only $999 is an "overpriced toy"? </p>
<p></p>
<p>So a $139 per month lease with only $999 is an "overpriced toy"? </p>
<p></p> Art, you are right a persons…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-11:2029424:Comment:6448032013-11-11T05:34:04.062Zspicejaxhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/spice
<p>Art, you are right a persons 'driving needs' are a big factor in an automobile. Lots of people buy on many factors, but don't think of the practicality. A real PHEV smart would fit your need, but then I don't think it's possible with the size of the fortwo.</p>
<p>In my case a ED would work because the farthest I drive is 50 miles. It makes a good choice for RV's too. A smartED would be a problem to go to some of the big smart events unless I brought it behind the RV.</p>
<p>The 'Micro car'…</p>
<p>Art, you are right a persons 'driving needs' are a big factor in an automobile. Lots of people buy on many factors, but don't think of the practicality. A real PHEV smart would fit your need, but then I don't think it's possible with the size of the fortwo.</p>
<p>In my case a ED would work because the farthest I drive is 50 miles. It makes a good choice for RV's too. A smartED would be a problem to go to some of the big smart events unless I brought it behind the RV.</p>
<p>The 'Micro car' has always been for the cities and local commuting. The Gas forTwo can go anywhere, the original Idea for the 'MCC' aka smart was to be Electric. </p>
<p>I'm glad to have both kinds in the US. I like the smart MHD also, but we never got it here.</p>
<p>Good to know you are a two smart family!</p>
<p>MJB </p>
<p> </p> Getting back to the origina…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-11:2029424:Comment:6448702013-11-11T02:45:12.870ZArt Whittakerhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/ArtWhittaker
<p>Getting back to the original question, I would not buy an electric smart or any other all electric car. I cannot afford another overpriced toy, and for what my travels are the smart ED just does not have the range. What am I going to do? Drive 100 miles and sit half a day while my car charges? Sorry, I don't have that kind of time to waste, if I do a 500 mile trip how many days will it take me? I have 2 gas smarts and frequently my wife &amp; I travel multi hundred mile trips in…</p>
<p>Getting back to the original question, I would not buy an electric smart or any other all electric car. I cannot afford another overpriced toy, and for what my travels are the smart ED just does not have the range. What am I going to do? Drive 100 miles and sit half a day while my car charges? Sorry, I don't have that kind of time to waste, if I do a 500 mile trip how many days will it take me? I have 2 gas smarts and frequently my wife &amp; I travel multi hundred mile trips in different directions. How would an ED smart fit my needs? How about a hybrid instead?</p> Sorry, I didn't mean 3rd over…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-09:2029424:Comment:6447772013-11-09T03:09:12.475ZKamaalhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/KamaalPeterson
<p>Sorry, I didn't mean 3rd overall I believe I read that there was a month or two where the smart EV finished 3rd. . .</p>
<p>Sorry, I didn't mean 3rd overall I believe I read that there was a month or two where the smart EV finished 3rd. . .</p> It's good to know the ED is s…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-08:2029424:Comment:6445972013-11-08T05:01:55.256Zspicejaxhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/spice
<p>It's good to know the ED is selling well in California and the other states that are lucky to have them. Meanwhile Florida (with ten 'smart centers') waits with all the other 'non-ED' states as the ETA is now February 2014. It will be interesting to see how well Florida 'adopts' the ED when it arrives.</p>
<p>Time marches on.</p>
<p>MJB</p>
<p>It's good to know the ED is selling well in California and the other states that are lucky to have them. Meanwhile Florida (with ten 'smart centers') waits with all the other 'non-ED' states as the ETA is now February 2014. It will be interesting to see how well Florida 'adopts' the ED when it arrives.</p>
<p>Time marches on.</p>
<p>MJB</p> Well, the smart EV has actual…tag:www.smartusainsider.com,2013-11-08:2029424:Comment:6448302013-11-08T04:14:45.542ZKamaalhttp://www.smartusainsider.com/profile/KamaalPeterson
<p>Well, the smart EV has actually been a pretty decent seller lately. The deals are awesome and the car has improved quickness and power over the gasoline version... we've even managed to creep into 3rd place overall this year in pure 100% EV vehicle sales (non hybrids, non range extenders) behind the Tesla S and Nissan Leaf... with less dealerships than Nissan...</p>
<p>Well, the smart EV has actually been a pretty decent seller lately. The deals are awesome and the car has improved quickness and power over the gasoline version... we've even managed to creep into 3rd place overall this year in pure 100% EV vehicle sales (non hybrids, non range extenders) behind the Tesla S and Nissan Leaf... with less dealerships than Nissan...</p>